A pink of salt: Ancient lake in China changes colour to pink, attracts tourists

A salt lake in China which is also known as "China's Dead Sea" has turned pink and green. The strange colours of the lake are attracting many people from all over the country.

Yuncheng Salt Lake in northern China's Shanxi Province appears green on one side and pink on the other, Xinhua news agency reported.

"It looks beautiful," Xinhua quoted a local resident.

According to authorities, the pink side contains a chemical called Dunaliella salina which changes it from the original green colour.

It is not the first time the salt lake has changed its colours as the dual colours have lasted for many years.

The view only disappears in winter when the lake dries up.

The amount of salt it



contains is similar to that of the Dead Sea and allows humans to float on it. According to geologists, the lake was formed about 50 million years ago.

The lake is one of the three inland salt lakes with sodium sulfate in the world.

Taking a look at some history, according to records, revenue from the salt produced by the lake accounted for about a quarter of the country's total during the reign of Emperor Li Yu (766-779 AD) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

Chinese people began making use of the lake at least 4,000 years ago.

The lake still produces salt for industrial use.

The very change in its colour is caused by microbes that multiply significantly due to warmer temperatures.